On Thu, 23 Nov 2006, Alberto Grossi wrote: > Hi All, I am looking for this amazing member of Commelinaceae, Cochliostema > odoratissimum. Does anyone know where to find fresh seeds? To import such > plants to Italy is impossible as they stop about two months at the custom! > Many thanks. Alberto, I don't know of any seed source, if you find one I'd like to know also. I don't even know of any commercial sources for plants. Clearly not a geophyte, but I agree it's amazing. I had wanted this plant for years, and a friend at a botanical garden managed to get me an offset. I had it for several years, and it seemed happy in my greenhouse, grew well, and flowered at least twice a year, but I was never able to get seed from self-pollination (or cross-pollination from some other Commelinaceae I grow). The flowers are as fragrant as the name suggests and incredibly blue. After 4-5 years, and with no change I could find in my culture, it started to look sickly and was dead within a few weeks. I still have no idea what happened. I'm always disappointed to kill a plant, though I've certainly killed my share and then some, but usually accept it as part of the price of admission. But this was one of my most favorite plants, and I really hated losing it. Steve -- Steve Marak -- samarak@gizmoworks.com